Investigation of Novel Active and Passive Samplers to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Surrogates

DAVID ALBURTY, David Goad, Pamela Murowchick, Andrew Page, Sydonia Manibusan, Gediminas Mainelis, InnovaPrep LLC

     Abstract Number: 326
     Working Group: Aerosol Science of Infectious Diseases: What We Have Learned and Still Need to Know about Transmission, Prevention, and the One Health Concept

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a dire need to better understand the presence and transmission of airborne pathogens. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of easy-to-use, inexpensive, and robust samplers for monitoring indoor air that could help address the pathogen-centric medical-focused model of disease and its transmission. These challenges could and are being addressed by the aerosol science and engineering community. Two specific needs for further improvement are 1) a small, quiet, high-volume air sampler and 2) an ultralight zero-power personal sampler. The work presented here discusses results from a test & evaluation series conducted in a bioaerosol test chamber using two currently available solutions, the InnovaPrep Cub sampler and the Rutgers Electrostatic Passive Sampler (REPS). The Cub sampler operates at 200 L/min and uses an electret filter as a collection medium. REPS is based on the permanently polarized ferroelectric film. Both samplers were challenged with aerosolized Bovine Coronavirus as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses. The samples were analyzed by qPCR. The Cub operated for 10 min, while REPS collected samples for a longer period. Detection and saturation limits of the devices were explored. To improve virus detection, eluted samples were concentrated using CP Select concentrating pipette. The results show the utility of both devices to capture airborne viruses and the complementarity of active and passive samplers to determine short and long-term virus presence and exposures.